Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. ~Francis Bacon

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Review and Blog Tour: Fallout by Sadie Jones

Thanks once again to Trish from TLC Book Tours for inviting me to be a part of this tour. This book was a welcome addition to my time on the beach in Isla Mujeres, Mexico!

Here is a summary of the book from the Goodreads website: Sadie Jones, the award
winning, bestselling author of The Uninvited Guests and The Outcast,
explores the theater of love, the politics of theater, and the love of
writing in Fallout-a deeply romantic story about a young playwright in
1970s London.

Leaving behind an emotionally disastrous childhood
in a provincial northern town, budding playwright Luke Kanowski begins a
new life in London that includes Paul Driscoll, an aspiring producer
who will become his best friend, and Leigh Radley, Paul's girlfriend.
Talented and ambitious, the trio found a small theater company that
enjoys unexpected early success. Then, one fateful evening, Luke meets
Nina Jacobs, a dynamic and emotionally damaged actress he cannot forget,
even after she drifts into a marriage with a manipulative theater
producer.

As Luke becomes a highly sought after playwright, he
stumbles in love, caught in two triangles where love requited and
unrequited, friendship, and art will clash with terrible consequences
for all involved.

Fallout is an elegantly crafted novel whose
characters struggle to escape the various cataclysms of their respective
pasts. Falling in love convinces us we are the pawns of the gods;
Fallout brings us firmly into the psyche of romantic love-its sickness
and its ecstasy.

My Review: This was my first experience with Sadie Jones as she delivers a story that puts us right in the middle of the theater scene in 1970s London. All the dynamics of this novel came together so nicely as our characters strive for a career in the theater while trying to balance relationships at the same time. Luke is our main character and it was inspiring to watch his dreams be realized throughout the book.

As the story opens Luke is a young man living with his father and working at a full-time job. Luke's life has turned into a life of normalcy, with no surprises to look forward to. This all changes when one dark, rainy night he runs into Leigh and Paul. When they learn they have a common interest, love of the theater, a friendship blooms instantly. Coming from London, Paul and Leigh are regulars to the theater, while Luke has only had the opportunity to read the plays up to this point. When they go their separate ways after this first meeting, the theater will reunite them in the near future.

When Luke, Leigh, and Paul, meet up again in London, they live and breathe theater. Each of them have a different talent they contribute to the artistic scene. Although Luke and Leigh seem to have a romantic connection, Luke stands aside, allowing Paul to pursue a relationship with her. After realizing Leigh is unattainable for him, he sets his sights on Nina, a beautiful and talented young actress. We start to wonder if Luke will ever find true love when he learns that Nina is married to someone who is very influential in the theater scene.

I hope you don't think that I have given too much of the story away by describing the love triangles, but the romantic relationships within the pages of this book are just one small part of the novel in it's entirety. I am not an avid theater attendee myself, but I had no problem following the language and descriptions within this book. The writing flowed nicely and always had me wanting to get back to reading it after I set it down. I do feel that Jones did a great job of portraying the times of this book, and a more conservative reader may not appreciate that. With themes of love, dreams, and theater, I don't hesitate in recommending this book for either personal leisure or as a book club selection.

My Rating: 4/5

Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher to participate in this blog tour and provide an honest review.